In the fight of his life, Seve on the minds of many
By Ceri Mobley, PGATOUR.COM Associate Site Producer
What will you remember about the 2008 season? That was the simple question we asked PGATOUR.COM staffers and freelance contributors, who responded with a series of short essays that we will post during November (click here for the archive link).
The first time I saw Seve Ballesteros' name, I did the unthinkable.
Out loud, to a room full of people, I asked innocently, "Should this say Steve?"
Oh, the egg on my face when I look back on it now. Since that embarrassing moment, I have, however, learned a lot about Ballesteros -- and not just how to correctly pronounce and spell his name.
Which is why, when it was announced he's been diagnosed with a brain tumor, I sat silently, staring at the words of the news story in front of me, wondering what comes next.
See, the thing about being a golf fan is how quickly you form attachments to these guys. Their accessibility -- just a rope and volunteer between you and the player -- makes them so human, so likely to notice you're there watching, to maybe even appreciate you. And some guys are so beloved by golf fans everywhere, you don't even need to be within reaching distance to feel the attachment. Some guys like Seve.
He's one of the greats. A Jack. An Arnie. Even if he did get under their skin.
I've never seen Seve hit a live shot, but there's no telling how many live shots my father-in-law -- an annual Masters patron for decades -- saw. I know he was in Augusta to applaud as Seve received both of his Green Jackets. The significance? Just less than a year ago, I lost my father-in-law to a grade IV, malignant, inoperable brain tumor. He was 59 years old.
Oddly enough, he was also diagnosed on a cold October day. That day, the battle began.
And now Seve faces a similar battle, one which might seem impossible to win. It's a battle not just for the patient but for the people who love that patient, too. In this case, that's a lot of people.
If ever his ability to find a clear path in a dense forest is important, it's now.
Seve doesn't have the same kind of tumor Jack, my husband's father, had, so his road will of course be different from the one my family traveled for 15 months post-diagnosis. Jack was not a candidate for surgery; instead, he plunged, literally, head-first into the murky depths of chemotherapy and radiation.
Seve has already had three surgeries, and given how sullen the cloud around the Ballesteros family must have been since receiving the news, things are looking bright. Hospital representatives at La Paz in Madrid said a few weeks ago his condition is "evolving favorably." The majority -- if not all -- of the cancerous tumor has been removed, and from what I have read about his oligoastrocytoma, various chemo and radiation treatments are next.
Now all Seve can do is fight, and all we, his fans, can do is wait. Wait to hear good news, wait to hear bad news. Wait to know what lies ahead for Spain's golf legend while we remember fondly the brilliance he brought to the game, and, perhaps, save a little bit of hope that he'll uncover just one more camouflaged avenue to victory.
Ceri Mobley, a PGATOUR.COM Associate Site Producer, is a native of Hampshire, England, and has always appreciated Seve's efforts for the European team at the Ryder Cup.
Get the best deals on the best equipment all at the SHOP.PGATOUR.COM.
FANTASY
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network